WFLA

‘We are devastated’: Helicopter tour shows catastrophic damage in Lee County after Hurricane Ian

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A helicopter tour of Lee County shows the catastrophic damage Hurricane Ian left behind in the county.

The video from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shows destroyed buildings, homes and roads. Many roads remain underwater due to storm surge from Hurricane Ian. As of Thursday afternoon, hundreds of thousands were without power.

At one point, the video shows a bridge completely destroyed and part of it underwater.

“We are devastated,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. “Our hearts go out to every resident who is impacted. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is mobile and will stop at nothing to help our residents. We will get through this together. We are one community and we will overcome this tragedy.”

Hurricane Ian made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm in Cayo Costa, Florida on Wednesday afternoon. The storm brought maximum sustained winds of 150 mph to the area.

Learn more about relief efforts here.